I am a cisgender White queer and gay man, husband, father, professor, queer activist, and antiracist equity practitioner serving as a professor in the California community colleges. As a queer activist, I stand in solidarity with the queer community to uplift our voices and experiences in challenging the dominant discourse that places marginalized groups into subjectivities that are defined by dominant master narratives known as “truths.” I challenge these false discursive narratives to create new truths and new knowledge. I imagine new languages, symbols, and ways of being. I see our identities as a collective united front in solidarity to end discursive oppression.

I recognize the importance of visibility. My queer family told our lived experience on a national platform facilitated by the American Foundation for Equal Rights. It was this platform that elevated our experience, told our story, and humanized our lives toward a more equal, just, and inclusive society. Later, we celebrated our declared victory—marriage equality ruled by the United States Supreme Court. We’ve made progress, but there is still so much work left to do. The progress couldn’t have been made without collectively coming together as a united queer community with our allies. Collective storytelling and visibility is life changing.

My research interests include how LGBTQ students are influenced by college spaces and how those spaces help shape their multiple intersecting identities. I dedicated my dissertation to understanding and uplifting the lived experiences of queer Latino men in California community colleges and how colleges play a role in activating their salient identities. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, running, the ocean, food, the gym, and binge worthy television.

In Pride Solidarity,

Ben